The invention relates to an evacuation and closure device in linear construction. Devices of this kind are used in the pharmaceutical industry for small containers, e.g. vials, injection bottles, or infusion bottles. The known devices, embodied as so-called rotary machines as well as those embodied in linear construction, are disposed above a conveyor section for the small containers and, due to the predetermined number of spaces and the fact that its course of motion is always the same, is bound to a rigid, inflexible machine concept. Furthermore, in the known devices, for the cleaning or sterilizing of the apparatus by means of a sterilizing apparatus, for example when there is a new product charge or at the beginning of a new work shift, in order for the cleaning or sterilizing apparatus to be used in the known devices, interventions or modifications are required. Furthermore, as rotary machines and in linear construction, the known apparatuses are custom adapted to the preceding filling machines, i.e. only with great expense can the known apparatuses be used for other filling machines, which operate continuously, for example, instead of cyclically.